Norris on Verstappen's Spanish GP antics: 'You know the answer'

Lando Norris refused to answer any questions regarding his opinion on the clash between Max Verstappen and George Russell, stating that many should already "know the answer".

A late Safety Car during the Spanish Grand Prix spiced up the race, bunching up the pack and setting the stage for an eventful final few laps of the 66-lap event.

The result was never in doubt for both McLarens however, as Oscar Piastri led home teammate Norris in a one-two for the Woking-based outfit.

A little further back however, an incident between defending Champion Verstappen and Russell in a battle for fourth position became the main talking point at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Cryptic Talk

Russell attempted to dive up the inside of Verstappen into the first corner after the Safety Car restart, but oversteered his Mercedes and bumped into the side of the Red Bull driver's car.

Verstappen took to the escape road and rejoined ahead of Russell. Although there was likely no need to do so, the Dutchman was asked by his team to cede fourth place to Russell to avoid a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

The four-time World Champion reacted in anger, and slowed down seemingly to let Russell through. However, Verstappen then sped up and clattered into the side of the Mercedes at Turn 5, in a move that many considered deliberate.

Norris, upon seeing the incident on a screen after the Grand Prix, stated that he had also made the same move before, albeit in the video game Mario Kart rather than in real motorsports.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Norris refused to share his opinion on the clash between Verstappen and Russell. Instead he decided to feign ignorance and jokingly blame Russell for the incident.

He said: "George should have got a penalty. It's clear!"

• Read Also: Perfect Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 in Spain - Verstappen penalised

When reminded of his comparison of Verstappen's antics to Mario Kart, Norris teased: "Oh, they heard that?"

And when asked if Verstappen's behaviour on-track is a good example for future race drivers to follow, Norris gave a telling response.

He stated: "That's not for me to say. You know the answer.

"Of course, I get frustrated all the time. That's life, that's sport," added the Briton.

Why Norris Couldn't Catch Piastri

Norris shifted the conversation towards his own race. Although he lost out to his teammate, he was happy to come away with second place and to secure the best possible result for McLaren.

The 25-year-old continued: "My race was very good today and the team had a great one too. I was happy with my pace.

"I don't think necessarily a win was possible today."

When asked if being stuck behind Verstappen in the opening stages of the race hindered his chances of battling Piastri for the race win, Norris was unsure if that would have made any difference.

He said: "I don't think it cost me the win. Oscar was quick when he needed to be. He was always saving it. He had clean air. It's not like I was half a second quicker than Oskar. There's a couple of hundredths, maybe a tenth at times that spits us.

"As soon as you get within three seconds, you're easily losing one tenth. It was just the dirty air that cost me more than anything. I had my chances to try and catch back up.

"Especially around this track with the tyres screaming for help all the time. It's just not possible. I maybe lost out some opportunities to attack a little bit more and put him under a bit more pressure," concluded Norris.

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